Saturday, May 7, 2011

Tonight's main event between Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and "Sugar" Shane Mosley is obviously the most highly-anticipated fight of the night for most. It's the biggest fight with the biggest stars, two future Hall of Famers who will have the crowd buzzing at the MGM Grand after "Mama Said Knock You Out" and "Eye of the Tiger" are done blaring through the arena sound system.

But what about the rest of the card? We profiled the undercard for the casual audience and the curious on Friday afternoon, but let's take a quick examination of what's good and what's bad about these fights.

Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. vs Jorge Arce

Pros: This appears to be rightly positioned as the main co-feature of the night, the third fight on the PPV. Of the available fights, it deserves the billing. Vazquez is a good young fighter who can box and has real power, and fights in a generally pleasing style. Arce is a Mexican veteran who has been in a number of bloody wars over the years and even now past his best, never fails to give his best effort.

Cons: Vazquez, being younger and a natural 122-pounder, has serious advantages that have made him an even bigger favorite on the sportsbooks than Pacquiao is against Mosley. It could wind up being a mismatch that for long time fans of Arce have trouble watching. Arce has struggled badly in recent years against top competition.

Kelly Pavlik vs Alfonso Lopez

Pros: It's good to see Pavlik back in the ring, and his fights are never bad. Lopez, as an unknown out of Texas, carries some intrigue as a potential spoiler at 21-0 (16 KO) with a few decent wins over solid gatekeepers.

Cons: The fight has not been made to be competitive. It has been made as a showcase for Pavlik, and, relatively speaking, an easy way to get him back with a win.

Ray Narh vs Mike Alvarado

Pros: Neither of them are terrible. Both have some power, and this is an unexpected big shot for them to get some exposure. If they bring it, it could be a fun opener.

Cons: There is little truly at stake as neither man is a serious contender at 140 pounds, nor are they in any position to become one any time soon. Alvarado has wasted portions of a once-promising career with outside of the ring issues, and Narh just isn't particularly good.